Call of the Wild
by 3rdbase101
Summary: Futuristic Earth is very different. Pokémon are available, but at a very high cost. Pan is a young man that yearns to break free of the restrictions, and live in the wild with his partner. However, his world will do anything to stop him. Submit OCs!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sorry, trying this again because I forgot to add I don't own pokémon. Now, submit away!**

It was dim inside the lab, and the only light came from the ethereal blue screens of the multiple computers. A few scientists, garbed in white protective gear, gathered around a table that rested in the center of the room.

"We did it," the Head scientist exclaimed, reaching a finger out to touch the small organism on the table. It cooed softly and tried to run against the hand, much like a cat would do.

"Yeah, we did," another scientist agreed. "But I don't understand why we had to create pokémon, though. It'd be a lot easier to cure something, like –"

A female scientist slapped the man playfully. "The government paid us a lot of money to make pokémon. They said it was for 'the betterment of human life.' I'm not one to argue with money." She reached down and stroked the Caterpie's head, crooning to it softly.

"How are we going to distribute them to the world equally? In the Games there's always some maniac guy trying to rule everything," someone in the back stated. Murmurs of agreement swept through the small group.

The Head Scientist cleared his throat and began cleaning off his glasses. "It's quite simple, really," he stated in a fatherly tone. "Everyone only gets one, and it's illegal to have more than one. Unless," he added, "you're wealthy or important."

Everyone agreed, although some demur went through the crowd at the latter sentence. "How are we going to make sure they follow the rules?" the woman asked, pausing in her petting of the tiny caterpillar.

"We constrict their freedoms. They wanted pokémon, and now they can have them. But to make the world safer with fire-breathing creatures living in it, the people must be restrained."

Silence pervaded the small room, the computer monitors and the Caterpie the only ones making noise. Small noises of agreement made themselves known, until the crowd burst into cheers. The Head Scientist looked modest, but one could tell he was lapping up the attention.

"Let the new order of the world begin!"

Pan ran along the street, panting and out of breath. The clouds were beginning to build, and he needed to get to the Companion Adoption Center before it closed for the day. He had just turned ten years old, and he had to wait until the very minute of his birth passed before he could receive a companion.

The steel monoliths towered above him, reaching high into the sky. He was near the center of the large city, and had to move a few more blocks outward before he got to the CAC.

As he ran out, the buildings began to get nicer by degrees. It was a common fact in the city that the poor lived in the center of the city, while the rich lived on the very outskirts. The center was a gray area, although it ascended by amount of money made.

The CAC was bright red, and shone out easily among the gray skyscrapers. People shot him dirty looks and companions growled as Pan rushed passed, but he didn't care. All he wanted was his pokémon, and that fueled his insane sprint.

Pan dashed inside the opening doors and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the relatively short line. A young woman stood behind the counter, a proud Pidgeot next to her. "Are you here for your companion?" she asked in a lilting voice, and Pan nodded eagerly.

"Ok," she responded. "Please stick your finger here. It's going to take a small sample of your blood to make sure you're at least ten years of age and the person you say you are."

The boy quickly jammed his finger onto the futuristic looking machine, and winced when it pierced his skin. "Pan?" she asked, and he nodded once more.

"Ok. Over there, you'll see a line of computers. Take the first one on the right and begin. Answer the questions _truthfully_, or your companion won't be fit to live with. It might even be taken away from you."

Pan nodded vigorously, and quickly took a seat at the monitor. It flashed questions at him quickly, and Pan answered as best he could. Pokémon kept flashing through his mind as he read them, and he couldn't nip his excitement in the bud.

After one hundred questions, the boy was beginning to get bored. Most of them were simple answers that he didn't have to think of well, and he couldn't quite understand why they were involved in choosing a pokémon.

A new screen popped up, making Pan squirm in joy. It read 'CONGRATUALTIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN MATCHED WITH A COMPANION!'

The woman from before smiled as the screen popped up on her personal computer, then turned to Pan. "Come here," she said softly. The boy walked back the receptionist's desk, hopping up and down on one foot. She turned her back for a second, in which a low 'beep' was heard. The woman faced him again and held out a shiny, new Poké Ball. "Try it out," she said, handing Pan the ball.

Pan eagerly pressed the center button, releasing the pokémon within. However, instead of a pokémon, the boy and the woman were greeted with blackness that surrounded them and quickly destroyed them.

The young man awoke with a shout, alerting his pokémon at the end of the bed. The Houndoom growled sharply at whatever danger its owner had sensed, before realizing it was just a nightmare.

"I had it again," Pan muttered to his friend, who whimpered sympathetically. "I don't know what it's about, boy."

Pan rubbed the dark Pokémon's bony head before sliding out of bed. Luckily, his shout hadn't woken up any of his other comrades in the room. They didn't take lightly to being woken up and losing precious sleep.

"Might as well get going, eh, Kujo?" Pan asked, and the dog barked quietly in response. Pan laced up his army-issued combat boots, stretching as he did so. The grunts were required to run a mile each day with their companion to 'bond.' Apparently, the officials stated 'a bonded army pair is much more effective in combat than those who hate each other.'

Pan could completely agree with that. Kujo and he had bonded early, from the second he received the little puff ball. They only grew closer as Pan was forced to enlist in the Lugia army for some money.

There were many young men and women from the poorer section of Lugia, and Pan didn't stand out amongst them. Their army was stated to 'protect and defend the proud city of Lugia from the other malicious cities.' Pan, however, knew different. They were also sent in to prevent any people from escaping into the wild.

The wild was one thing that Pan enjoyed, he thought as he ran. Kujo was loping playfully beside him, taking in the morning air. There were 47 cities where all the people lived. Between them there were expanses of free land that grew without human taint.

Nobody was allowed to go into the wild, because it was 'dangerous.' Grunts have skirted around it when there was a rumor of an escaped person, but otherwise everyone was confined to their city.

The cities were wonderful, though. They were large, expansive and able to support themselves fully. Each was named after a legendary pokémon, but few had friendly relations with each other.

An idea started to form in Pan's head as he passed the quarter mile marker. Maybe, just maybe, he could escape into the wild. He knew, without a doubt, it would be better for both Kujo and he, and Pan knew all the tricks to escaping.

A smile formed on his face as he ran, imagining the dangerous wild land that waited for him. After the run and the grueling army day, Pan would tell Kujo about it. His pokémon would certainly love the idea.

**Alright. I've been itching to try this idea out for a few days, and I'm willing to try out a few OCs. The maximum travelers I'm taking are five, with a soldier from one of the other cities counting as an extra. So, six in total. Notice, this is not a 'first come, first serve.' I shall chose those I like best and will fit best into the story. Please, no repeats. And send this **_**by PM only. **_**To make sure you read this extremely long paragraph, please title your PM Machop. If you do not, your character might not be used, or will die a gruesome death. Ok? Good, the form is below. **

**Name:**

**Gender:**

**Age:**

**Description (please be very detailed):**

**Personality (deteail is also **_**extremely**_** important here):**

**Companion you think they'll have (I have the right to change this if I see fit):**

**Companion's personality (detail!):**

**Job:**

**Status:**

**Goals:**

**Background:**

**Why they want to go to the wild (a legitimate reason, please!):**

**Family:**

**Usual clothing:**

**City of Origin:**

**Likes/dislikes:**

**Other:**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. **

Pan hit the mile marker and immediately slowed into a jog. Kujo barked unhappily, eager to go on, but slowed down also. The boy reached down and stroked his pokémon's head, slightly out of breath.

The sun was rising slowly over the city, the bright light refracted by the thick smoke in the atmosphere. He slowed to a walk, then quit movement altogether for an after run stretch. Kujo yawned as Pan stretched, making the boy laugh.

"Race you to the Mess Hall," Pan said, quickly breaking into a sprint. The Hall was about a quarter of a mile away, and the race was the end to their morning routine. Kujo bayed loudly, the sound once thought to be the cry of the Grim Reaper, and followed after.

Although Pan had a head start, Kujo easily surpassed him and waited at the steps while Pan caught up. He pushed open the doors and was assaulted with the amount of noise. Pokémon were everywhere, chatting to each other and quickly gobbling up food. Grunts sat at tables and stood in line, waiting to eat and quietly talking.

Pan went to sit with a few people in his company, before deciding against it. He lived with the Fire 105th company his whole life, and wanted something different today.

His eyes scanned the crowd, looking over the tables. A girl from his company, Violet, waved him over, but he shook his head.

Finally Pan found the girl he was looking for. "Come on, Kuj," he shouted, trying to be heard over the din of the Mess Hall. Kujo whimpered unhappily, because he had been conversing with a female Growlithe, but followed his partner nonetheless.

"Hey, Bency," he said, tapping the girl on the shoulder. She turned around coldly, glaring at him with fiery green eyes. The Scyther by her side was friendlier, though, and began to talk with Kujo.

"What do you want, Pan?" she asked, taking some toast on her plate. She flipped her short brown hair out of her eyes and moved down the line.

Pan shrugged. "Kujo and I are going to eat lunch with you and Deity today." He took a tray and put some sausage on it.

"What?" Bency asked, whirling around so she could face Pan. He took a step backwards and almost stepped on the grunt behind him. "You're not even in my company, and you expect to eat with us? Bug and Fire don't get along well, you know that."

Again, Pan shrugged. "I know. Thought I'd be different today. Also thought you'd be more sympathetic to your _best friend_ in childhood." Pan meant to walk away, and grabbed his plate when Bency grabbed his arm.

"Fine, fine, sit with us," she muttered. "But don't call me Bency, ok?" Bency was muttering as she walked away, and Pan followed her.

It was like a new world, sitting in the back of the cafeteria. Bug pokémon were surrounding him, and often gave weird and hostile looks to Kujo. Bency nearly threw her plate on the table, and it clattered loudly.

Pan sat next to her and began eating breakfast, trying to get a conversation out of her. However, she was as stoic as usual. After many failed attempts, Pan let his mind wander again.

Should he tell Bency what he was planning? If so, would she come along with him? He loved her companionship through the years. Especially since there hadn't been many children in the center of Lugia.

Pan absentmindedly ate his toast while thinking of his childhood. It had been pretty boring until he realized he had Bency as a neighbor. Even though she was two years younger than he, they always ran about and played games. They went through a rough period when Bency was jealous that she didn't receive a pokémon yet, but that was all cleared up when she got Deity.

"Are those… air raid sirens?" Bency asked, her fork frozen halfway up to her mouth. Pan shook himself out of his reverie and listened closely.

The siren was high pitched and alternated between long and short wails. "Yeah," Pan muttered, pushing his chair back from the table. "It's air raid. Moltres from the sound of it." The Mess Hall was filed with the clattering of utensils as everyone rushed to defend their city.

Bency grabbed his arm, and he could see the fear in her eyes. "Pan," she whispered. "I've never had to defend against a raid before… I don't know what to do."

He quickly dragged her outside to avoid being trampled by the rushing grunts. Pokémon were everywhere, their partners beside them. A line of Pidgeots were waiting as their humans mounted them and took to the sky.

Giant catapults were being dragged out by fighting pokémon, and everyone was running to a position. Fear was still prominent in Bency's eyes, and Pan knew it was because she lost her father in an air raid. That day was still vivid in his memory.

"You can't fly, so you need to stay on the ground. What are the rest of the Bugs doing? Don't you cut the catapult cords?" Pan spit that out rapid fire, so that he could do what he was supposed to do. Recognition dawned in Bency's eyes, and she nodded.

"Don't die," she said quietly in her usual sarcastic tone. Pan smiled before running off to the Takeoff Site. A large amount of Bird pokémon waited, along with a few Dragons.

"Soldier 429C?" An officer asked, and Pan nodded. "Your pokémon is to light the coal in the companions carriers, do you understand?"

Pan nodded, and rubbed Kujo. The sun dimmed slowly, and he looked up to see a horde of Flying pokémon bearing down on them. Most carried objects in their talons, a few of which that looked like bombs. "You ready, buddy?" Pan whispered, and Kujo barked an affirmative.

A Spearow hopped forward, holding out its leg. Attached to the Flying pokémon were metal chains, which latched on to a little bucket. Inside the bucket were a few lumps of coal. "Ember," Pan instructed, and Kujo lit the incendiary lumps. The Spearow flew off, cawing angrily. Pan wanted to watch its progress, but another flying pokémon was already at their station.

The noise was deafening, but Pan didn't really notice. His job was getting monotone, and his eyes began to wander. The pokémon that had the flaming coal flew up and threw their load at the attacking pokémon.

There were many jobs for the army pokémon to do, and they were all running flawlessly. Flying pokémon attacked the intruders with flaming coal, while the flying dragons caught the bombs that were dropped. Pan caught sight of Deity as she swiftly cut the lines of a line of catapults, sending their cargo into the air. Fighting pokémon loaded the catapults, and made sure they were always full.

The Lugia army was one of the most successful in the country, because of the strong spirit and determination of its people. Pan watched as Flying pokémon after Flying pokémon was brought down, a few involving Kujo's lit coal.

A Noctowl raced towards the ground, a blade clenched tightly in its beak, aiming for the catapults. "Kamikaze?" Pan asked, stunned at the pokémon. "Kujo, flamethrower!"

Kujo let loose a stream of powerful flame, totally ignoring the Skarmory waiting in front of them. The flames startled many people and pokémon, but hit its mark dead-on. The bird fell to the ground with a screech, its flight feathers smoldering.

"Catch it, catch it," an officer shouted, and immediately a group of electric and ice pokémon surrounded it. It wailed softly, but a Machoke swiftly put it in a cage.

Pan was appalled. That was someone's pokémon. You just couldn't take it away from someone like that. He wondered vaguely how the officer would feel if the Moltres army took_ his_ pokémon away.

The Skarmory clacked its beak impatiently, and began waving its leg. "Soldier 429C, what are you doing?" Pan mumbled a response, and got back to telling Kujo to light the coal.

After what seemed like hours, the number of bird pokémon flying in the air dwindled. A few ally pokémon still patrolled the air, their coal-buckets swinging menacingly, but there were no opponents for them to light.

The defensive mood began to calm down, but Pan was still hooked on adrenaline. Kujo barked next to him, challenging the cowardly Moltres army, who had all fled.

"I think we're good now," a voice said, startling Pan as he turned around. Bency stood there, her hands on her hips, but a smile on her face. "I heard Colonel Maycomb saying over the radio that the fighting's also done in the East and North sides of the city. Not much damage and we did well."

Another boy came over and high-fived Bency. "Damn right we did well! Storm and I took down at _least_ fifteen enemy birds. Didn't stand a chance." A Fearow nodded cockily behind him, spreading his wings and crying out to the sky.

"This is Graham," Bency said, introducing him to Pan. "Helped me a bunch today. Kept the Flying pokémon away from the catapults."

"Nice to meet you," Pan forced out, feeling a bit of jealousy in his heart. She focused on a Flying major, while not even saying thank you for knocking out the kamikaze Noctowl. Typical. "I'm going to go back to our bunk," Pan muttered, waving as he left.

Kujo followed behind him, nudging his side. "I know, I know," Pan muttered, rubbing Kujo's head. "It's stupid for me to think that way. But… Hey!" He stopped dead on the way to their bunk and turned to his partner. "How about… you and me, we go into the wild? Nobody tell us what to do or anything. Get away from the ugly city!"

The Houndoom seemed to consider the idea, and sat down in the dusty ground. After a few minutes, his tongue lolled out and he yipped in affirmation.

"Knew it," Pan crowed. "Thought you'd come with me! Now we just have to plan when." Pan continued to his bunk, his pokémon gamboling around his feet. They met several others on their way, and stopped to be friendly.

A young boy ran up to him with a letter clenched in his fist. "Soldier 429C?" he asked, looking up to Pan. The Sentret by his side stood up on his tail and patted Kujo on the nose.

Pan nodded, and the boy resumed talking. "A letter, sir. It's from the general, and he's expecting an answer back before nightfall, sir." Pan took the letters in his fist, wondering what the general could want.

He opened the door and sat down on his bed. "Another thing. I wouldn't be referred to as 'Soldier 429C.' Just Pan." The letter, as promised, was from the general in charge of his company.

"Due to your lack of listening skills, you will be discharged from the army for an undetermined amount of time. In the Lugia army, we expect full obedience to any and all orders that are given. Your orders today under the Moltres siege were to light flammable objects, not to try to protect the catapults. Your actions today could have injured your comrades and their companions."

Pan finished, dumbstruck. "I can't believe it," he muttered, running his hand through his black hair. "They're discharging me… for what?"

Kujo whimpered softly, bumping his nose against Pan. "I think this is a good time to start our trek to the wild, eh?" he asked, getting up from the bed. The man took his dark green bag and stuffed the small amount of his possessions in it, before walking out the door.

"I gotta ask Bency if she's coming along, and then we can go. Might visit mom before we leave though, right? Get some good food."

Pan walked along the dusty camp, looking for any sign of his childhood friend. The camp was nearly empty, and copious amounts of noise were coming from the Mess Hall. As much as he hated to do it, Pan walked in the door and confronted the people inside.

It seemed as if the entire Southern army was there, and everyone was milling about. Pokémon were everywhere, and not sticking to their respective companies. People talked all over, and the cheerfulness almost drove Pan out. He would have left without asking Bency the question, just to be alone in his despair if he didn't see her.

"Hey Bence," he called, waving her over. Bency said goodbye to the people she was talking with, and walked over with Deity by her side.

"What's up?" she asked, stopping in front of him. Pan motioned for them to go outside, and she followed willingly enough. "Can you please tell me now? I heard they're giving out cake. You like cake."

Pan smiled, but it dropped quickly. "I, uh, I was discharged, Bence." His friend's happy smile fell, and she gasped. "I didn't listen to orders. A viable reason, I guess. But I hafta leave. There's this… one thing… I want to ask you though, before I leave."

"I can't believe they discharged you," Bency erupted angrily. "It's so unfair! You're like… the greatest soldier ever! I looked up to you. _You're_ the reason I wanted to join Lugia's army, not their ridiculous propaganda!"

He grabbed her shoulders firmly, making her face him. "Listen to me," he whispered. "I'm taking this as an opportunity. I – Kujo and I - are going to escape. To the wild. Nobody can tell us what to do there. Wanna come?"

"To the wild?" she whispered. "I-I can't. I just have too much here. My mom… Oh, Pan!" Bency flung herself into Pan's arms, crying softly. "You can't do this. Not to me. I mean," she picked herself up, wiping the tears from her eyes, "it'd be stupid." The hardness was beginning to edge back into her voice.

"You'd get caught, and then executed. We all know that. Be smart, and get another job, ok? Don't do it. Listen to me for once." Bency finished her threat, and stormed back into the Mess Hall. Deity looked forlornly at Pan before following her partner.

Pan sighed, his hand immediately dropping to Kujo's bony skull. "I knew it'd be an idiotic idea," he muttered. "I guess I could hope though, huh?"

He patted his pokémon's head a few times, then began to walk towards the general's office. "My new life starts now," he announced, unsure of what was to happen in it.

**A/N: How did you like this chapter? I rewrote it multiple times, but I'm unsure if I did it right… please tell me how you think it did. Oh, and OC roles are still open! Submit while you can, and I'll choose those that I like best. If they don't make it, you can be sure they'll even make small appearances. **


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